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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467241">Welcome to Whitebeard Incorporated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekokratik/pseuds/Nekokratik'>Nekokratik</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>(Even in This Life) I will Find You [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Gen, Luffy Being Luffy, Luffy Is a Little Shit, Luffy is a high maintenance dog, Luffy is an energetic dog, Shanks makes an appearance for like one second, dog!Luffy, more like a sentient black ball of fur, thank you for MS word grammar and spelling check</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:21:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,547</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22467241</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nekokratik/pseuds/Nekokratik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When everyone in the house is too busy to take care of a dog and Shanks has to leave for a business trip, Luffy gets to spend a couple of weeks with Ace. Luckily, his workplace is pet friendly and his roommate is used to his spontaneity.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>(Even in This Life) I will Find You [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608052</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Thanks for doing this," Shanks sighed as he handed over a backpack. </p><p>"No problem, you worry about your business, we'll have fun ourselves, won't we?" Ace grinned at the dog by his feet. </p><p>Luffy barked in response. </p><p>"All right, all right, I know when I'm not wanted," Shanks laughed as he walked out to the car waiting for him. Once the car drove off, Ace turned back into his apartment and closed the door. </p><p>"Well then, guess I should get ready for work, too," Ace yawned as he ran a hand through his hair. </p><p>Luffy yipped and ran off to explore. </p><p>Shanks had asked Ace to take care of Luffy for a couple of weeks since all his usual caretakers, Shanks' tenants, were all busy and Shanks' himself had a business trip to attend to. Ace had gladly accepted without asking his roommate, but he was sure that Sabo would be happy to have Luffy over. Plus, his workplace was pet friendly, so Luffy wouldn't be alone in the apartment. </p><p>Once Ace was ready, he made a quick breakfast for himself and Luffy and soon they were walking out. </p><p>"Check this out, I got this the moment Shanks called me," Ace said as he proudly brandished a pet carrier backpack with a glass dome. He put Luffy in the backpack and zipped it close. "This way I can carry you even while driving a motorcycle." He put the backpack on before climbing onto his bike. "You good back there?" </p><p>Upon hearing Luffy's happy yip, he put his helmet on and drove off to work.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The headquarter of Whitebeard Incorporated was located in the heart of the downtown area. The first floor was lively with local businesses, a restaurant that spanned through one side of the building, a casual coffee house on the other side, a daycare filled with children's laughter, and the grand entrance to the building. </p><p>Ace drove into the underground parking lot and parked in his reserved spot. He placed the backpack in front of him and took Luffy out. "How was that?" </p><p>He laughed as the little dog shook his fur out. Once he was finished, Luffy started barking excitedly. </p><p>"All right," Ace scooped Luffy into his arms before getting off his motorcycle. "Shanks told me you have been to the Red Force before, so this should be pretty similar." </p><p>They rode the elevator up and exited upon an open office filled with desks, papers and knickknacks. Due to the lack of cubicle walls, the entire floor was filled with natural sunlight.</p><p>"Morning!" Ace called out to the mostly empty office as he headed towards his desk. </p><p>"Oh, Ace, you're already here?" </p><p>"Hey, Marco. Yeah, wanted to give this little guy the chance to settle in," Ace said as pointed towards the dog in his arms. </p><p>"Well, the good news is that only the executive officers are in today. After the rush and the craziness of last night, Pops decided we could take it easy today," Marco said. "And who's the little guy?" </p><p>"This is Luffy," Ace grinned. "I'm looking after him for Shanks for a couple of weeks." </p><p>"Huh, well Stefan is here, too, if you want to introduce them," Marco said as he offered his hand for the dog to sniff. </p><p>Luffy stared at him, tilting his head left and right before perking up in Ace's arms. He started barking nonstop as he waved his front paws about. </p><p>"Wow, what's gotten into you?" Ace said as he tried to keep a hold on the squirming ball of fur. "It's just Marco." </p><p>"Well, at least he likes me," Marco chuckled as the small dog nuzzled into his hand. "Come on, Pops is already here, too." </p><p>They headed into a separate elevator and went up to the CEO's office. </p><p>Edward Newgate, fondly referred to as Whitebeard, was the CEO and founder of Whitebeard Incorporated and one of the city's most influential figures. His passion and the company's actions remade the city into a prosperous place with low crime rates. </p><p>They walked through a set of mahogany doors to meet the man sitting behind the desk. </p><p>"Morning, Pops," Ace greeted him cheerfully. </p><p>"Good morning, Ace, Marco," Whitebeard rumbled. "Oh, and what do we have here?" </p><p>Before Whitebeard could stand up, Ace placed Luffy on the table in front of him. </p><p>"Not on top of the documents," Marco grumbled. </p><p>"This is Luffy," Ace said, ignoring Marco's words. "I'm taking care of him for Shanks for a couple of weeks." </p><p>"Gurarara, is that so," Whitebeard chuckled. He watched as the little black ball ran around in circles on his desk. "I'm sure Stefan will love some company." </p><p>At the mention of his name, the big white dog resting in the corner of the room perked up. Stefan stood up and ambled over to Marco who petted him. </p><p>Ace scooped the little dog into his arms before crouching down to Stefan's level. </p><p>"Luffy, this is Stefan, he is an old veteran and a big fluffy cloud that we all pretend is a dog," Ace murmured. </p><p>Luffy barked happily in greeting as Stefan sniffed at him. With a huff, the big dog sat down and looked up to Marco expecting a treat. Ace put Luffy down on the ground once there was no sign of hostility and watched with amusement. </p><p>Luffy ran around Stefan a couple of times, admiring his size and his fluffiness. He even tried climbing on him, to which the old white dog suffered through as if dealing with an excited puppy. </p><p>"Good boy, I'll give you a treat later for this," Marco said with an apologetic face. </p><p>They eventually made their way back to the office level, leaving Whitebeard and Stefan in the CEO's office. All the executive officers were lounging about and turned when they saw Ace and Marco. </p><p>Ace introduced everyone to Luffy with the small dog happily barking along and letting everyone pet him. To Ace's relief, he was a great hit in the office and Luffy didn't seem to have any problems being in an office setting. </p><p>Marco's loud reminder to hand in their report before lunch time had everyone scrambling to their seats. Because of the lack of activity around the office, Ace allowed Luffy the freedom to run around. The small dog ran around from one end of the office to the other, exploring the new place as everyone else worked. </p><p>After a couple hours of running, he finally tired himself out and ambled back over to Ace. </p><p>"Had fun, didn't you?" Ace laughed as he picked up the small dog. He settled Luffy on his lap and absent mindedly petted him as he finished his paperwork. With the repetitive motion and the static clacking of office noises, Luffy fell into a peaceful slumber.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"Finished!" Ace grumbled as he stretched backwards. He noticed that Luffy had woken up, so he placed the little dog on the table. He stared amusedly as Luffy stretched, and once he was done, Ace stood up with Luffy on his shoulder. "All right, we're leaving for lunch!" </p><p>"No! Ace, help me!" Thatch whined from where he was slumped over his desk. He was the division manager for the restaurant chains and any food products, and one of his closest friends. </p><p>"I'll be sure to save you a seat, Thatch," Ace laughed as he walked away. They made their way down to the employee’s lounge. Ace got his lunch and something suitable for dogs before settling down on a table by the windows. After he sat down, Luffy jumped down onto the table and stared expectantly at Ace. "All right, all right," Ace laughed at those sparkling eyes. </p><p>The moment he set the food down, Luffy started eating with fervor. Ace ate at a slower pace as he checked his phone. He went through his text messages and got caught up on his friends' social medias. Just as he went for another bite, he felt a brush of fur against his arm. He looked over to see Luffy sneaking bites from his plate. </p><p>"Ah!" Ace yelped before pushing the small dog away. "No, bad dog. This is my food." </p><p>He hastily finished his food before Luffy could get another bite. </p><p>After lunch, Ace was more mobile, going from desk to desk and floor to floor, picking up documents, dropping off papers and talking to certain people. And Luffy followed at his heels, trotting along peacefully, checking out new places, greeting new people. </p><p>Ace finished his list of chores by returning to his desk and Luffy sat panting by his side. </p><p>"Good work!" Thatch praised Luffy. He placed a water dish in front of the small dog and gave him some beef jerky. </p><p>Thatch's exclamation caught the attention of the rest of the managers. They had all been patiently staring from afar as the duo walked by, quietly amused by the image of a mama duck and his black duckling and waiting for him to settle down so they could play with the small dog. Finally, their patience paid off and they crowded around Ace's desk. They passed Luffy around as they gossiped and joked around for the rest of the day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>"All right, Luffy, I'm just going to be gone for a little while. Be good for </span><span>Thatchy</span><span>, ok?" Ace said as he petted the little dog, and </span><span>Luffy barked once in response.</span> </p>
<p><span>Since Luffy's arrival, Ace's assignments had been within the company building, but they had just received an urgent call from a sister company that needed his attention. He was to head out with Marco to try and solve the problem, but he couldn't bring Luffy with him. Fortunately, Luffy seemed to be a good office dog and he got along with everyone, and he would only be gone for a couple hours at most.</span> </p>
<p><span>"Ace, let's go!" Marco called from the elevators.</span> </p>
<p><span>"All right! I'm coming!" Ace yelled back. "Be good, I'll be back before you know it!" With one last pet Ace stood up and rushed towards the elevators.</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy who was sitting on Ace's chair, put his head down on his paws and stared at the elevators.</span> </p>
<p><span>Thatch tried to distract him, but Luffy would only look at him for a couple of seconds before turning back towards the elevator. Thatch gave up and decided to try again later.</span> </p>
<p><span>After a couple of minutes, Thatch watched closely as Luffy jumped down from the chair and headed towards the stairs that lead up to Whitebeard's office. Hopefully, Stefan and Pops could cheer him up.</span> </p>
<p><span>Whitebeard was working diligently at his desk when he noticed movement by his door. He looked up to see a ball of black fur moving closer to Stefan, who was sleeping besides him.</span> </p>
<p><span>"</span><span>Gurarara</span><span>, did you get bored?" Whitebeard chuckled. "You can help me finish this then."</span> </p>
<p><span>He picked up the small dog and placed him on top of the paper-covered desk. Contracts and important documents covered every surface of the desk, but at the center of it all was a cross word puzzle.</span> </p>
<p><span>"Now, what is a four-letter word for a flying stinger?" Whitebeard asked, and </span><span>Luffy barked in response. "Ah yes, of course." The old man reached for a treat in his drawers and fed it to Luffy.</span> </p>
<p><span>Whitebeard continued reading the hints out loud and Luffy would bark from where he was exploring the office. Eventually, Stefan woke up from his nap and he played the role of keeping the tiny dog out of trouble and tight spaces.</span> </p>
<p><span>By the time noon came around, Stefan left Luffy alone and went up to his owner. He sat beside Whitebeard and left out a soft "woof."</span> </p>
<p><span>"Oh, it is already time?" Whitebeard petted the big white dog before standing up. "</span><span>Gurarara</span><span>, let's go get some lunch then."</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy perked up at the sound of lunch and ran ahead. They made their way down to the cafeteria where they were greeted by Thatch.</span> </p>
<p><span>Whitebeard bartered with him for different foods other than what his dietician had prescribed, but Thatch stood his ground. After making sure the old man would eat his food, the brunet set out the meals for the dogs.</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy had been rolling around with laughter at seeing the old man being scolded, but immediately rushed towards Thatch when he went to get the food. The moment the plates were set down, Luffy devoured the meal with gusto, whereas Stefan took his time.</span> </p>
<p><span>Thatch laughed at them before turning back to catch Whitebeard sneaking in some forbidden foods.</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy finished his food and licked his plate clean. He looked around to see that Stefan was still eating and that the humans were all fussing over the old man. The little dog happily skipped over to Stefan and started taking bites from his food, unaware of the big dog's stare.</span> </p>
<p><span>Stefan shifted to try and dissuade the smaller dog from eating his food, but when it didn't seem to work, he started growling. His growl caught the attention of everyone around since they had very rarely heard Stefan growl.</span> </p>
<p><span>"Oh, Luffy!" Thatch rushed over and picked the small dog up. Stefan stopped growling, but Luffy started whining. "All right, all right, I'll get you more food," Thatch sighed. "Thank the heavens, I didn't put any medication in Stefan's food today."</span> </p>
<p><span>Thatch refilled Luffy's plate and placed it on top of the table so he could keep an eye on the black ball of fur.</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy finished his food in a couple of bites and tried sneaking bites from Thatch's food.</span> </p>
<p><span>"No, no, no. You already had seconds! How do you even keep all that food in that tiny body?" Thatch exclaimed as he tried keeping the dog away.</span> </p>
<p><span>With the brunet's hand blocking his way, Luffy turned his attention elsewhere on the table. He trotted over to Whitebeard and he hadn't even had to try sneaking because the old man offered him some of his food with a laugh.</span> </p>
<p><span>"No, Pops! Luffy!" Thatch snatched up the small dog and started scolding the elder man.</span> </p>
<p><span>When all was said and done, Stefan and Whitebeard finished their meals, and Thatch managed to keep Luffy out of trouble as he finished his lunch.</span> </p>
<p><span>Luffy perked up when his ears caught Ace's voice. He wriggled free of Thatch's hold and plopped down onto the floor. With a cacophony of excited barks, Luffy ran towards the elevators just as they opened.</span> </p>
<p><span>Ace who was talking to Marco was startled when something hit his shins as he stepped out of the elevator.</span> </p>
<p><span>"Hey, you little monster!" Ace laughed as he picked up the small dog. Luffy continued barking as if telling him everything about his day.</span> </p>
<p>
  <span>They join Thatch and Whitebeard at their table and Thatch begins telling them about Luffy's exploits of the day.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p><span>After a long day of work, Ace with Luffy in his arms made his way down to the parking lot as he chatted with Marco.</span> </p>
<p><span>They said their goodbyes once they got out of the elevator, and Ace watched as Marco walked towards his car.</span> </p>
<p><span>When Ace remained unmoving, Luffy looked up him and barked. Ace was startled by the sharp echoing sound and shifted his hold on the dog.</span> </p>
<p><span>"All right, let's go home, shall we?"</span> </p>
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